PB System™ Emergency Operations User Guide

I. Logging In

A. Enter Username

B. Enter Password

• • • Click on the eye to see keystrokes
    • If password is unknown, click on Need Password Help?  to reset your password

II. Home

            A. Daily Calendar

                  Daily calendar contains a list of all of the agency's important solicitation deadlines for the day. Users will see the Pre-Bid meeting, Q&A, and bid deadlines. Click on any listing to open the solicitation. 

           B. Stat Cards

                 Stat cards contain statistical data on the PB System™ general overall usage by both the agency and the public. Stat cards can be configured for user preference. 

               Configuring stat cards:

• • • Select edit
    • Select the delete icon within each card to remove
    • Select the + bar to add in a new card type or select any existing card to edit
      • Select Report Type to define the type of data to be shown
      • Select Timeframe for the frequency of data
      • Select the color bar to change the color of the card
      • Select Save, Cancel or Reset to Defaults
•       News and Events can be found by clicking on the bell icon in the top right of the screen, and contains important information PlanetBids needs to share with its clients. It is highly recommended that Users take a quick look when entering the PB System™ to view updates. The Line Item Import Template and the Inside Scoop registration links have moved to the Help Center.  The Import template can be filled out by the Agency's internal client and provided to the PB User to upload line items into the bid record quickly.

   

• D. Left Side Navigation Menu

  • Navigation menu navigates the user to the different areas of the PB System™. Access to each area is based upon the purchase of the module and User permission configurations.

    • Top right corner of the left-side navigation menu will either be an X or >. This will toggle the menu open and closed to optimize screen space.
    • Home: returns User to the home page.
    • Bid Management: quickly manage the process of issuing, monitoring, conducting evaluations, and awarding formal and informal bids.
    • Bid Spec Library: access to PlanetBids client solicitations to help Users find piggy-backable, cooperative bids and build specs using other agency bids.  
    • Project Evaluation: add-on that allows Users to manage the multi evaluator and/or consensus evaluation process on solicitations. Project Evaluation allows Users to use the RFP evaluation process on all solicitation types (Quotes, Bids, RFI, RFP, RFQual and IPWB).
    • Vendor Management: Gain access to Vendor records, run advanced searches on multiple sets of Vendor data, add a vendor, perform real-time verification of provided information (i.e., certifications and licenses) against third party databases, generate comprehensive reports with visual charts, and broadcast messages to selected Vendors.
    • Contract Management: maintain and retrieve up-to-date, relevant information regarding contracts.
    • Insurance Management: enables risk managers, procurement, public works, and contract administrators to automate, maintain, and retrieve up-to-date, relevant information regarding Vendor or contractor insurance certificates.
    • Emergency Operations: enables any Agency to manage, maintain and retrieve up-to-date information on Vendors that provide goods and services in the event of an emergency.
    • Business Certifications: enables an organization to manage its certification programs such as Small Business Enterprise, Minority, or Diversity as well as Contractor Prequalification(s).
    •  Reports: print or export comprehensive reports.
    • Calendar: calendar view of Agency and any other selected PB Agencies bid dates/deadlines. Users plan solicitation dates to enhance Vendor participation. Provides a quick link to the Agency bid information.
    • Admin: permission-based access to manage administrative areas of each module. (See Admin manual).
    •  Vendor Portal: quick access to the public side of the PB System™. 
    • User Settings: reset User information (name, title, phone, email, login).
    • Help Center: Access Knowledge Base, FAQs, create a support ticket, Support phone number, and feedback section.
    • Log Out: logs User out of the PB System™.

         E. Dark Mode/Light Mode               

Found at the bottom right corner, Dark Mode / Light mode allows the user to change the background setting.

 

III. Emergency Operations      

      Entering Emergency Operations, Users can search for Vendors who have completed the Emergency Operations form in Vendor Registration, run reports, send emails, save search criteria and schedule save searches to be automatically sent to team members. Access to different functions is permission-based.

 

       I. Searching for Vendors

           

           PB System™ has default fields to search for Vendors. Select the "+" to add more fields. Multi-chooser fields are designated with a black square, allowing the User to choose multiple criteria within the field.

Located in front of the “Clear” button will either be an or >. This will toggle the search criteria open and closed to optimize screen space. Collaborative Searching allows the User to search for Vendors identified as emergency operations vendors at other participating PlanetBids Agencies.

 

                         a. Entering a multi-chooser box

• • • • Search box (top left)- User can search list by code, number, description.
      • Select all that apply.
      • Select Show only selected Vendor types to see selections.
      • Select Save.
      • Select Search.

     J. Managing Display Results

                       a. Select the cog icon located at the far right.

                       b. Check or uncheck an item to hide or add to the search display.

                       c. Drag the up/down arrow to change the display column order.

                       d. Place curser between columns to resize; similar to Excel.

   

    K. Export

            Select Export to export results to Excel. 

 

    L. Send Email

                        a. Search for vendors.

                        b. Select Email icon. 

                        c. Select individual vendor or all by selecting the checkbox on the left.

                        d. Complete the Subject and Message fields and attach up to 5 documents

                        e. Select Display in News & Events to display on the Vendor Portal.

                        f. Select Send. 

 

     M. Viewing a Vendor Profile

                        a. Select any Vendor in the list to open the profile.

                        b. Scroll down to view information. Information is based on Vendor Registration configuration during implementation. Agency Superuser can manage the master list of category codes, classifications, ethnicity, and gender tracked by the Agency in the Admin section. (Contact PB Support)

                        c. Select Issue PO (Agency optional items and Permission based). PB System™ will automatically issue a PB System™ generated number.

• • • • •  Select the number to view blanket purchase order. 
          • Vendor can view this blanket purchase order at any time when returning to their vendor profile and going to Emergency Operations

  N. Saved Searches        

         See Admin Manual to schedule automatic email notifications to selected individuals of all EO vendors.

         Contact PB Support build save searches, schedule save searches to automatically run and manage emergency codes. 

 

IV. Reports       

     Available reports found in left hand navigation are based upon the modules used by the Agency.

 

    O. Emergency Operations Reports           

         Shows Emergency Operations categories and the number and percentage of vendors that have selected each category.

                        a. Select Category Report.

                        b. Select Export.